ENGLISH
REFERENCE

increasing

v.
A2 Elementary US //ˌɪnˈkɹisɪŋ// UK //ɪnkɹˈiːsɪŋ// in·creas·ing

v. to make something larger in amount, size, or number. You use this when something is growing or becoming more than it was before.

v. to make or become greater in size, amount, degree, or intensity. Transitive when describing an action performed on an object; intransitive when describing a state of growth.


SIMPLE

The company is increasing its prices next month.

CONTEXTUAL

The city is increasing the number of bus routes to help people get to work more easily.

COMPLEX

By increasing the frequency of quality control checks, the factory managed to reduce the number of defective units reaching the final assembly line.

Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology 1

From increase + -ing (participial suffix).

Etymology 2

From Middle English encresing, equivalent to increase + -ing (gerund suffix).

Usage

Functions as both a transitive and intransitive verb; often used in the continuous form to describe ongoing trends.

Pitfall

The prices are increasing of 10%The prices are increasing by 10%When describing the amount of change, use the preposition 'by' rather than 'of'.

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